Vols 3.5-Point Favorites over UGA

Dean Legge

09/25/2016

ATHENS - Georgia will enter the Tennessee game as a home underdog for the first time since 2011.

Its a marked change in what Las Vegas things of how UGA will perform at home, and shows how strong Tennessee is coming into this contest after the Vols’ come-from-behind win over the Gators on Saturday.

Only once last season (Alabama -1) were the Bulldogs anything other than double-digit favorites at home. That means that since the start of the 2014 season, Georgia has been a double-digit favorite at home in all but three contests. The Bulldogs are 2-1 in those games (2014 win over No. 16 Clemson, 2014 win over No. 9 Auburn and the 2015 loss to No. 13 Alabama).

The Bulldogs have only been an underdog to the Vols twice in their last ten meetings (2006 and 2009) - both times Tennessee has won. However, there have been several notable upsets in this series in the last 15 years. Unranked UGA, an 11-point underdog on the road, gave No. 6 Tennessee its only regular-season loss of 2001. In 2004, 12-point underdog No. 17 Tennessee knocked off No. 3 UGA in Athens - paving the way to the Vols winning the SEC East that season. In 2005, No. 5 UGA toppled three-point favorite No. 8 Tennessee in Knoxville 27-14 on the way to winning the SEC East. Last season was a slight upset with the unranked Vols beating No. 19 Georgia 38-31 in Knoxville. Tennessee was a one-point underdog at home.

This also marks the first time in 69 games that the Bulldogs will be underdogs two times in a row. Its also only the second time since 2001 that the Bulldogs have been underdogs in back-to-back games.

The game has come down to the last possession in each of the last five contests, with the Bulldogs winning all but one against Tennessee. Georgia has never won the SEC East without first defeating the Vols. Only once (2001) have the Vols lost to UGA and gone on to win the division.